A sad-eyed, full-lipped, handsome actor of Italian and Puerto Rican descent, Michael DeLorenzo started out as a dancer in both the "Fame" feature and TV series and left his gypsy days behind as Eddie Torres, the hot-headed detective who took himself quite seriously on the Fox series "New York Undercover" for four years (1994-97). Although DeLorenzo started dancing at the High School for the Performing Arts in New York (the setting for "Fame"), he always had acting on his mind and when one of the "Fame" TV series leads had personal problems, he was picked from the chorus line to act in several episodes, and continued to do so on and off. Bigger parts were elusive. Although he was a regular on "The Bronx Zoo" (NBC, 1987), in features he managed only a small role as a thug who recognizes Whoopi Goldberg as a narc in "Fatal Beauty" (1987). Although larger feature parts still proved elusive, DeLorenzo joined the cast of the ABC sitcom "Head of the Class" for two seasons (1989-91) as the wolfish Alex Torres. He and co-star Malik Yoba made TV history in "New York Undercover"; no other cop series had featured non-white males in leading roles and lasted more than one season. DeLorenzo's feature work also...

A sad-eyed, full-lipped, handsome actor of Italian and Puerto Rican descent, Michael DeLorenzo started out as a dancer in both the "Fame" feature and TV series and left his gypsy days behind as Eddie Torres, the hot-headed detective who took himself quite seriously on the Fox series "New York Undercover" for four years (1994-97). Although DeLorenzo started dancing at the High School for the Performing Arts in New York (the setting for "Fame"), he always had acting on his mind and when one of the "Fame" TV series leads had personal problems, he was picked from the chorus line to act in several episodes, and continued to do so on and off. Bigger parts were elusive. Although he was a regular on "The Bronx Zoo" (NBC, 1987), in features he managed only a small role as a thug who recognizes Whoopi Goldberg as a narc in "Fatal Beauty" (1987). Although larger feature parts still proved elusive, DeLorenzo joined the cast of the ABC sitcom "Head of the Class" for two seasons (1989-91) as the wolfish Alex Torres. He and co-star Malik Yoba made TV history in "New York Undercover"; no other cop series had featured non-white males in leading roles and lasted more than one season.

DeLorenzo's feature work also picked up in the 90s. He was Private First Class William T. Santiago, the object of the drama, in "A Few Good Men" (1992) and Butch Mejia, a doomed rival gang leader, in "My Family/Mi Familia" (1995). He also appeared as Rosie Perez's suitor in "Somebody to Love" (filmed in 1994, released theatrically in 1996). DeLorenzo's stage work has been sporadic, but he did star in "Stand-Up Tragedy" at the prestigious Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles in 1989 and was much praised for his work.

Appeared as a dancer and in occasional speaking roles on the series "Fame"

1987:

Cast as Salvatore on the short-lived NBC series, "The Bronx Zoo"

1987:

TV-movie debut, "Sister Margaret and the Saturday Night Ladies"

:

Played Alex Torres on ABC sitcom "Head of the Class"

1989:

Starred in "Stand-Up Tragedy" at the Mark Taper Forum

1992:

Played pivotal role in Rob Reiner's "A Few Good Men"

:

Played Detective Eddie Torres on Fox series "New York Undercover"

1995:

Appeared as Butch Mejia in "My Family/Mi Familia"

1998:

Returned to films in "Phantoms"

2000:

Had featured role in "Gun Shy"

2000:

Returned to series TV as co-star of the Showtime drama "Ressurection Blvd."

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Education

The School of Performing Arts:
New York , New York - 1982

Notes

"How many shows do you see on TV where there is a person like myself--Puerto Rican--who's a star, and not a drug dealer, and he's carrying the show? You don't. What's so wonderful is, this gives me the opportunity to be a leading man. Because before, I was, like, the gang leader or the drug dealer--you know, the bad guy . . . They're just two dimensional characters." --Michael DeLorenzo in New York Newsday, September 7, 1994